1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for warming facial areas of a wearer and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an apparatus that removably attaches to eyeglasses, sunglasses, or the like to impart heat to the sinus regions of the wearer's head, thereby creating a comfort zone of temperature about the face and upper body affected by the sinuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Persons who live in colder climates often experience considerable difficulty in keeping the face warm. For example, any outdoor activity performed in a cold climate such as skiing or just working exposes the face to both wind and cold and results in the loss of body heat through the unprotected face. As facial temperature lessens due to exposure, discomfort causing anywhere from minor to severe pain about the face and upper body may develop. Thus, it is highly desirable to apply heat to the face in order to prevent discomfort due to cold weather.
Devices do exist which supply heat about the face, however, those devices are primarily for either purported therapeutic uses or to prevent the fogging of eyeglass lenses. Such devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,234, issued to McCooeye, which discloses eyeglasses provided with a heating circuit that applies current to a conductive film placed on the lenses, thereby heating the lenses to prevent their fogging.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,929, issued to Curcio, discloses a ski goggle which includes a protective lens provided with a fine grid of heat generating wires which produce sufficient heat through the lenses to remove frost and fog from them. An external battery pack and switching device supply the power to the wire grid.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,963,990, issued to Gilkeson, et al., discloses goggles designed with heating elements positioned about the lenses of the goggles such that a high temperature is maintained on the face of the lenses, thus preventing formation of fog, ice, and moisture on the lenses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,735, issued to Aufricht, discloses anti-fogging eyeglasses wherein heating and accelerated ventilation of the eyeglass lenses, especially on their inner or eyeward surfaces, prevents condensation of moisture or evaporates moisture already condensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,390, issued to Smith, et al., discloses a therapeutical appliance which is an electrically heated spectacle-like frame positionable about and upon the eyes of a user to transfer heat to the eyes and eyelids, thereby relieving pain, discomfort or irritation caused by eye fatigue and to cure possible eye diseases responsive to heat therapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 411,689, issued to Smith & Martin, discloses a therapeutic electrical attachment for spectacles which generates a voltaic current through the nerves in the vicinity of the eyes in order to strengthen the sight and enable a wearer to continue reading for an increased time.
Although some of the above devices transfer heat to the facial areas, none are practical for cold climate outdoor use to create a comfort zone of temperature about the face and upper body affected by the sinuses. The therapeutic devices are specifically designed to apply either heat or current to the facial area about the eyes in order to relieve eye fatigue and irritation. Accordingly, those devices are for indoor use and, therefore, do not suggest an apparatus that easily and removably attaches to eyewear in order to heat the face when a wearer is outdoors in a cold climate.
With respect to the anti-fogging devices, those devices are specifically designed with internal heating elements that apply heat to the lenses but not necessarily to the face. Thus, because the heating elements are mounted within the eyeglass frame to heat the lenses, they often inefficiently and inadequately transfer heat to the face. Furthermore, anti-fogging devices are typically expensive because each one consists of eyeglasses manufactured with the heating elements mounted within the eyeglass frame. The above anti-fogging devices, therefore, do not suggest an inexpensive apparatus that easily and removably attaches to eyewear in order to heat the face when a wearer is in a cold outdoor environment.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus that removably attaches to a variety of eyeglasses, sunglasses, or the like in order to apply heat to the face and create a comfort zone of temperature about the face and upper body affected by the sinuses.